


I Need It to See

by Iaveina



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Blind Character, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-11
Updated: 2014-06-26
Packaged: 2018-01-18 22:43:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1445548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iaveina/pseuds/Iaveina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Left within the maps of his mind, he never truly realised how difficult it would be to adjust to new people in a new school. As it turns out, some people can indeed be assholes. But not everyone. Freewood. Blind, High School!AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Can be found on tumblr [here](http://iaveinabox.tumblr.com/post/79116319819/i-need-it-to-see-part-1-2).

He never saw the punch being thrown. But then again, he never saw much of anything. His milky eyes instead stared out unseeingly into the distance, perpetually hidden underneath a pair of nondescript sunglasses and a messy fringe.

It didn’t bother him that he was blind. Being born without the use of his eyes meant that he’d never known anything different. His world was constructed of sounds, his ears sharp enough to pick up things he knew his peers would never hear, scents and feelings through touch. His mind aware enough to construct maps of his surroundings, nowhere near detailed enough to replicate a room - he knew he lacked the ability to create the smaller things - but sufficient enough to ensure that he could walk around unaided and unimpeded, his adoptive parents making sure that he was confident enough in his self-sufficiency to lead a relatively normal life.

However, the jump between Middle School and High School had been brutal. The familiar hallways had been replaced with a maze of corridors and staircases that had him forever losing his way. The familiar voices of his friends, the friends he’d known and had shared classes with for years, were replaced with unfamiliar mutterings, with unfamiliar teachers struggling to cope with him in their lessons, his learning hindered by the out-of-date books in Braille provided by the school board.

Geoff and Griffon were vocal in their concerns but he shrugged them off, convinced that he just needed time to adjust.

But it wasn’t just his surroundings that were difficult to adjust to. His fellow students were unsympathetic for the most part, unwilling to help him and finding every opportunity they could - when he wasn’t with his friends - to make his life hell.

Gavin didn’t remember how this particular instance had escalated. He knew that he was hopelessly lost on his way to Biology, his cane meeting thin air at the top of a staircase instead of a left turn where he thought a hallway was, when he felt someone enter his personal space; the hairs on his arm prickling at the sudden intrusion.

“Where d’you think you’re goin’?” A gravelly voice drawled slowly. Gavin’s brow creased in confusion, trying to match the voice - male, a Junior or a Senior if he had to guess, someone with a lot more muscle than him and definitely a smoker - with one he’d heard before but drawing a blank at its unfamiliarity. Something rustled - a jacket, a bag maybe? - before he felt his cane being pulled from his hand; followed by the familiar clinks of it being folded and unfolded. “What’s this?”

The voice didn’t sound all that threatening despite its owner still standing uncomfortably close to him, so he swallowed heavily and raised his head. “It’s my cane,” he replied sharply, his fingers - devoid of anything to touch - twisting lightly into the fabric of his jeans. He continued, the bravado that had spurned him into answering rapidly deserting him. “I need it to see.”

“Are you trying to fuckin’  _lie_  to me, Limey?” Gravelly Voice retorted, and somewhere behind him laughter broke out. Gavin winced, not expecting the crowd. “This is our part of the school  _Freshman_. Y’think you can dance on in here and fuckin’  _lie_  to me?”

“He ain’t lying Nate,” a nasally voice chimed, its owner sounding closer to him as he continued to speak. Gavin could hear the shuffling of his sneakers against linoleum floor. “They use ‘em sticks they do, poke around where they ain’t wanted.”

“I’d be happy to get out of your way,” Gavin interrupted quickly, groping his hand forward towards the sound of the clinks; his mind rapidly calculating how far away it could be based on the person holding it’s proximity, so used to doing this that he was instantly rewarded with the feel of cool, smooth metal against his skin. He could sense the other boy tensing. “I’ll just take this back, and if you could set me off in the direction of the Biology block that’d be absolutely top.”

Gravelly Voice pulled it back sharply, the metal slipping through Gavin’s fingers before he could get a proper grip and he stumbled forwards at the momentum; body colliding with the solid mass in front of him. With a yell, the boy lashed out, his hands colliding harshly with Gavin’s chest.  

“This is  _our_  patch. And if y’think you can just walk outta here then you’re wrong.”

He could feel something to his right, probably Nasally Voice, and nervously felt out with his left hand for the railings he knew were around the staircases in this school but struggled to find anything more than air. Hands grabbed at his shirt whilst another pair searched through his pockets to find their prize - in the form of his wallet - before he was roughly shoved up against a wall; the cool surface jarring to his senses.

“Is that all you’ve got?” Gravelly Voice sneered, close enough to Gavin’s face that he could feel the uncomfortable warmth of his breath across his cheek. He flinched and the hand gripping his shirt tightened its hold.

“He ain’t even got no bank cards,” Nasally Voice spat and Gavin heard the distinct sound of something leather - his wallet, most likely - hitting the floor. Sneakers squeaked against the linoleum and hands dug roughly into the pockets of his jeans.

He acted instinctively more than anything, he knee coming up to meet his assailant’s stomach with such force that he was dropped with a surprised cry. He veered sharply to the side, far too disoriented to know where he was exactly but hoping if he picked a direction to run in he’d end up running into someone nicer; providing he didn’t fall down the flight of stairs he knew was around there somewhere.

He never had the chance.

He’d taken one step away, arms outstretched, when something hard and heavy collided with the side of his head. The pain hit him first, even before he realised that his sunglasses had been knocked clear of his face, and his legs collapsed from under him. The searing pain stole his breath away, the solid floor beneath him frightening and unyielding.

He was prepared for something more and raised his arms to protect his face but was saved from further harm by a shout that rang out from nearby.

“Hey! What the hell is going on here?”

The newcomer’s voice was deep; resonating with such fury that Gavin found himself sinking back into the wall behind him, arms folded tightly across his chest and his fingers digging into the soft cotton of his shirt sleeves, his head down. The presence beside him vanished in a rush of footsteps and scuffling, warm air brushed past him as someone rushed by before him and despite his fear the sounds of his attackers crying out as they ran away stirred the barest hints of satisfaction within him.

He did, however, jump when the voice spoke again; distinctly closer.

“Are you alright?” The voice was deep, with an intriguing smoothness to it alongside the pure concern that laced its owners tone. Gavin, keenly aware of his lack of sunglasses and knowing from experience how strange his sightless eyes looked to strangers, kept his head down and shrugged. “Where does it hurt?”

Gavin lifted his head, eyes tightly shut, and pulled himself to his feet. He swayed slightly and jumped as a pair of warm hands appeared on his shoulders to steady him. “I’m okay, really. Just swell.” The hands, belonging to someone taller than him if he had to guess, didn’t move. “If you could just get my glasses and my cane, and then point me in the direction of the Biology block that would be great…”

His rescuer was silent for a moment, his still hands reassuring against the lingering fear that chilled his bones, before he spoke. “Cane?” His deep voice held a hint of confusion as one of his hands moved from its spot on Gavin’s shoulder. Gavin swallowed, slowly opening his eyes and looking in the direction the voice had come from.

“Yeah,” he replied, straightening his back and trying to look more confident that he felt. Keenly aware of the stranger before him. “I kinda need it to see.”

The other hand disappeared from his shoulders and for a moment, as he heard footsteps walking away, Gavin thought his rescuer was abandoning him.

“Let me get this straight,” the other male began, and Gavin heard him bending down - if the slight restriction of breath and the slight change of tone were any indications - as he spoke. After a pause, in which Gavin’s ears picked up flesh meeting metal, he continued. “Those two guys attacked you. Even though you’re blind?”

Gavin bristled, glowering as best he could in the direction of the voice. “So what if I’m blind?” He hissed, resisting the urge to pull his hand back as his cane was gently eased into it. He ran his fingers up its length, checking for any damage Gravelly Voice had done to it and thankfully finding none, before tapping the end against the floor. The familiarity of this action calming him. “They would have attacked me even if I wasn’t. Some people are just arseholes like that.”

He jumped as his sunglasses were eased back onto his face and took a step to the side, feeling light-headed as he moved. A steadying hand latched onto his elbow and he sighed deeply.

“You’ve got a bit of a lump there,” Gavin heard something flip, his mind supplying the suggestion of ‘skin against leather’, as the steadying hand slowly eased him forward. “Gavin Ramsey, right?”

“I take it you have my wallet then?” Gavin asked, holding out the hand that wasn’t holding the cane. It was to his rescuer’s credit that he immediately placed the leather booklet into his palm. “Thanks, Oh Mysterious Rescuer.”

The other male laughed; a full, hearty laugh that caused the beginning of a smile to tug at Gavin’s lips. “Ryan,” he supplied with, Gavin could tell, a smile of his own. “Now let’s get you down to the nurse’s office.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After innocently offering to help guide Gavin around the school, Ryan finds himself getting attached. Freewood. Blind, High School!AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry that this took a million years to come out! I finished university and then stuff happened. But I finally moved home so yaaaaay!
> 
> Bad ending is bad because I need to work on my endings.

“That’s it! We’re getting you a guide dog,” Ryan thought that he should be at least mildly perturbed by the man who had stormed his way into the nurse’s office, his arms covered in bright tattoos and a fire blazing in his steely blue eyes. But at Gavin’s exasperated sigh he resisted the urge to dart forward and instead watched the spectacle before him from his space leaning against a cabinet. “And we’re going to speak to the Principal-”

“Geoff-”

“-Get you into Michael’s homeroom and see about getting those assholes fucking expelled.”

“You really don’t-”

“No Gav, I _do_ ,” The man - Geoff - seethed, hands on his hips. Gavin didn’t react to being interrupted, other than slumping further in his seat on the edge of the bed, and the anger that was clear upon Geoff’s face faded. The older man sighed heavily and sat beside him, wrapping an arm protectively around the boy’s shoulders. “You just worry me sometimes, buddy. I didn’t expect a call from the school telling me that you were in the nurse’s office. What happened?”

“He ran into some people he probably shouldn’t have run into,” Ryan explained carefully. Geoff immediately looked towards him, noticing him for the first time, and the confused crease of his brow was enough for Ryan to continue. “They roughed him up a bit but I chased them off.”

“Did you see them?” The older man asked, eyes narrowed. Ryan nodded and Geoff’s gaze moved to Gavin, his eyes scanning his body for anything out of place, before he raised a hand to gently brush back the boy’s fringe to get a better look at the welt that was rapidly forming. Gavin flinched slightly, drawing back from the other man’s fingers with a yelp.

“Geoff, I’m fine,” Geoff raised a speculative eyebrow and Gavin responded to it, despite being unable to see it. “No, really I’m fine. A bit of a headache but…”

“We need to figure out a plan of attack,” Geoff stated, squeezing Gavin’s shoulder reassuringly before he folded his arms. Gavin shrugged, his fingers playing with the strap at the end of his cane; twisting the plastic with his fingers. “We could go to the Principal, get her to expel them.”

“What’s the point?”

“They shouldn’t be beating up other students! That’s the point!” Geoff exclaimed, pulling himself to his feet. He paced the length of the room, brushing past where Ryan stood, and back - Ryan recognised his need to let off steam without yelling. “You’ve been fucking miserable since you started here.”

Gavin visibly deflated, his shoulders slumping and a heavy sigh escaping his lips. “It’s just been...really difficult,” he shifted, his head down as he spoke to his knees more than to the room as a whole. “I don’t want people to see me as the stupid blind kid who can’t do anything by himself. Because that’s not true!” He raised his head, an annoyed frown on his lips and his brow creased. “I can do anything! And I am _not_ stupid.”

Geoff was silent for a moment as he searched for something to say in reply. “No, you’re not,” he muttered as he stalked back over to the bed. He sat down, his arm slinking around Gavin’s shoulder again, and he sighed. “What d’you want to do, buddy?”

“Can I suggest something?” Ryan began, pushing himself away from the cabinet. Geoff looked at him, his eyes glaring into him as if searching for any hint of any malicious intent; anything that could be dangerous towards his son. “Gavin obviously doesn’t want to stand out more than he has to, but he’s new to the school and doesn’t know where anything is. I could get a copy of his schedule and walk him to and from his classes until he knows where everything is, if that would make you both feel better?”

Geoff turned to Gavin, the Freshman shrugging in response to the suggestion, before returning his gaze to Ryan. “If Gavin agrees.”

Ryan could not help but smile at Gavin’s tentative nod.

The routine they worked out was fairly simple. Ryan would meet Gavin in the parking lot at the beginning of the day and then walk him to homeroom, before making sure that he was at the door of any classes he didn’t share with his friends throughout the day.

Gavin was initially quiet, almost shy, around him. Listening intently to Ryan’s voice as the older teen led him around the school, keeping up a stream of conversation as they walked, and only offering a quiet ‘Thank you’ each time he was left safely at the door of his classroom.

But after the first week that all changed.

It took the simple mention of video games for Gavin to come out of his shell, transforming from a quiet, despondent ghost of himself to an enthusiastic bubble of energy that Ryan found himself being completely drawn into. He saw the moment that Gavin stopped thinking of him as help that had been forced upon him and started to think of him as a friend.

“Rye-bread!”

Gavin’s greeting wasn’t unusual, despite the odd looks they both received as Ryan stepped into the near-empty classroom. The younger boy was leaning against a desk near the front of the room, his backpack half on his shoulder and his cane lightly held in his hand, the end of which wasn’t touching the floor in any way. He was looking up, facing the door, with a huge smile on his face.

“Was Math _really_ that fun?”

Gavin blanched, shaking his head rapidly as Ryan smirked. “Math is _never_ fun.”

Ryan was relatively certain that Gavin knew that his teacher was still in the room, originally waiting patiently for them to leave but now barely concealing a glare towards them, and ducked forward to tug on the younger boy’s sleeve. Gavin grinned as he followed Ryan into the hallway, his warm fingers lightly entwined in the the fabric of his jacket at his shoulder as he trailed alongside; his cane tapping against the floor every so often.

The other students actively avoided them, and Ryan was somewhat glad for Gavin’s inability to see their faces; the unease in their eyes and the way in which they purposely stuck to the edges of the hallway when he was around. Despite regaining some of his confidence, Ryan could see the slight tug of a frown at the corners of his lips and the way in which his forehead creased in worry, even if the Brit tried his best to hide it.

“Hey,” Ryan started, gently leading Gavin down a corridor to their left. Gavin raised an eyebrow, one that was just about visible between his sunglasses and messy fringe. “Is everything okay?”

Gavin’s nod was enthusiastic even as someone hurriedly brushed past him, evidently annoyed by their slow, leisurely pace through the halls. “Yeah!” He grinned, moving slightly towards Ryan as he spoke. “Why? Does something _not_ seem okay?”

“You’re a bit quiet, that’s all,” Ryan reassured him. “It’s unlike you.”

“I’m just tired, Ma-”

“Stairs.”

“Thanks. Math was boring. We had a test that I kinda forgot to study for…”

Ryan rolled his eyes. Despite only knowing Gavin for a relatively short amount of time he already knew how much the younger boy hated studying for subjects that he didn’t like. Which was a shame really, as he had a feeling that Gavin could actually be quite smart if he put his mind to it.

“I bet that went well,” Ryan joked, laughing heartily at the pout that appeared on Gavin’s face and allowing the younger man to lead him down a hallway to the right. He grinned broadly. “Hey! You’re getting the hang of this.” He exclaimed triumphantly.

Gavin slowed, confusion clear on his face, and turned his head towards Ryan. “Of what?”

“Getting yourself from place to place,” Ryan told him, coming to a halt outside of Gavin’s English classroom. The room was already full of students, even though the teacher was nowhere in sight, and Ryan recognised a few faces from the group Gavin sat with at lunch. One of the boys, short and curly-haired, got to his feet and started to walk towards them slowly. “Soon you won’t need me anymore.”

Gavin frowned. “That’s not true,” he replied unhappily. “You’re my friend Ryan, I won’t just abandon you because I don’t need your help anymore.”

“That’s good to know,” Ryan clapped him on the shoulder, resisting the urge to ruffle the younger boy’s hair. He knew how much Gavin did not like it. “We’ve reached our destination Mr. Ramsey, I’ll see you in an hour.”

“Oh!” As Ryan turned to leave, Gavin reached out and grabbed his arm. He looked nervous as he shifted on the balls of his feet, even as an excited grin spread across his lips the worry was just about visible. Ryan frowned slightly. “I almost forgot!”

“Forgot what?”

“There’s a thing happening at my house tonight,” Gavin told him, his fingers still gripping the scratchy fabric of his jacket. Ryan found that he didn’t mind. “A couple of friends of mine and Geoff’s are coming round to play some video games, they’re hilarious and great to listen to! If...you want to come too, that’ll be cool…”

“What time?” Ryan smiled, chuckling slightly at the dumbstruck look on the Brit’s face. “Don’t look so surprised.”

Gavin shook his head. “8pm, I’ll get Geoff to text you the address.”

“I’ll be there.”

Above them, the school bell rang just as Gavin’s friend reached them. Ryan was pretty sure the goofy grin on his face stayed even as he entered his own classroom.

True to his word, Ryan received a text from Geoff later in the day with his address and hours later he found himself knocking on the wooden surface of the Ramsey’s front door, his knuckles coming away with flakes of chipped red paint. Somehow it seemed to add to the charm of the house before him, complete with its bright curtains and the old familiar truck in the driveway. It fitted with what Ryan knew of the Ramseys perfectly.

The door was opened by a tall, slim woman with pixie-cut blonde hair and colourful sleeve tattoos. She took one look at him before pulling him inside the house with a grin.

“Boys, Ryan’s here!” She called to the room in general, the bodies sat on the couch and floor turning to look their way eagerly. Geoff, seated on the single armchair in the room and clutching a bottle of beer like a trophy, laughed uproariously at the look of feared confusion on his face, his voice cracking.

“Aw, let the kid go Griffon,” he scoffed before taking a sip of his beer. Griffon, _the_ Griffon that Ryan had heard so much about, pushed him gently towards the group with a bright, sunshine smile. Gavin jumped to his feet and almost vaulted around the side of the sofa with practiced ease to greet him. Ryan assumed that in his own home his cane was unnecessary, an assumption that was backed up by the thin white cane that was hung up beside a number of coats beside him.

“Ryan! You came!”

In his enthusiasm, Gavin nearly barrelled straight into Ryan who held up a hand to stop him just as Griffon did the same. She raised an eyebrow and shrugged, sharing a look with Geoff before disappearing into the adjacent room where a computer screen was brightly lit.

“Of course I did,” Ryan replied, placing a hand on the younger boy’s shoulder to try and calm him from energetically bouncing on the spot. “I told you that I’d be here.”

Gavin reached out for his hand, settling long fingers around the base of his wrist, and dragged him over to the sofa, his other hand lightly feeling its way over the fabric. “Everyone, this is Ryan. Ryan, this is everyone!” He announced, dropping into a free space, pulling Ryan next to him.

The short, curly-haired boy from Gavin’s English class, sat on the floor by the foot of their sofa with a bowl of chips on his lap and an Xbox controller held in his hands, snorted. “Dammit Gavin, introduce us properly. I’m Michael.”

The young, bespeckled boy on the other sofa raised a hand, taking his attention away from the television screen. “Ray, and this is Jack,” he pointed in the direction of a red-headed man who, besides Geoff, was the only other person to be clutching a beer bottle. Jack nodded in greeting.

The easy camaraderie between the group was strikingly easy to see, sat as they were watching Michael and Ray - judging by who held the other controller - play what looked like Call of Duty on a big screen TV, all of them looking relaxed and at ease in each others presence. He face must have reflected the slight worry and confusion that he felt as, from his armchair, Geoff cleared his throat.

“So Ryan, what sort of games do you like to play?”

Sheepishly, knowing from Gavin the older man’s preference for console gaming, he replied. “Well, I’m more of a PC gamer myself…”

The group exploded into noise, immediately debating the merits and pitfalls of PC gaming in an almost professional manner. In amongst the babble of noise - from Geoff jokingly ordering him to leave to Ray asking him his opinion on some new releases, and Michael, Jack and Gavin’s voices blending together and being lost in the mix - Ryan could not help but start to feel drawn in by the group.

It was a feeling that stayed with him throughout the evening. Games were changed often as a steady stream of conversation was upheld, with Griffon reappearing from the other room to join them multiple times throughout the night. He learnt that Geoff and Jack worked together and played video games for a living (Gavin must have been able to sense his incredulous look since he laughed and patted him clumsily on the back) and that Ray lived across the street. Michael had met Gavin on the first day of 2nd Grade and the two, despite their differing personalities, had been firm friends ever since.

The group managed to include Gavin in everything that they did despite his impairment, whether it be to ask him to choose between a choice of weapons or describing what they were doing in a natural, unobtrusive way. Gavin himself seemed to recognise certain sounds and was able to comment and laugh himself to tears over Geoff’s mishaps in GTA V despite being unable to see the screen.

At some point, Gavin managed to gracelessly push a controller into his hands. “It’s your turn to play something now!” He declared, accidentally smacking the thumbsticks into Ryan’s palm in his haste to hand the device to him. “Jack wants to play Minecraft, he’s probably going to build a house or something stupid…”

Jack rolled his eyes from where he sat, loading up the game. “Building a house isn’t stupid, Gav.”

Gavin brushed him off. “You can either help him or mine or something! If you want to.”

“It’s going to be fun getting used to the controls, I’ve never played the console version before...”

“You haven’t truly lived,” Geoff told him seriously, reclining in his seat. “Playing console Minecraft means you don’t have to screw around with servers and shit on Multiplayer.”

“Hallelujah.” Michael raised his soda can in thanks, offering the bowl of chips to Ray.

Loading into the game didn’t take long, and as Michael and Jack had a raging debate over how to build a house (something about stairs, he wasn’t sure) Ryan bit his lip, moving his character in a circle. Beside him on the sofa, Gavin chuckled.

“They always do this,” he informed him, nodding his head in Michael and Jack’s direction. “Jack usually wins and Michael huffs until he gets to play.”

“I think…” Ryan’s brow creased, his concern for how his next statement would sound worrying him. “I might build my house by the ocean.”

Gavin’s eyebrow rose, his sightless gaze moving from the arguing duo to Ryan’s shoulder. With a start Ryan realised that it was the first time he’d seen Gavin properly without his sunglasses, and he found that despite the milky irises he didn’t mind.

“Oh that would be cool,” Gavin responded, shifting on the sofa with an excited grin. Ryan relaxed. “The oceans in this game are pretty cool! You should find a place near lots of squid and then farm them for ink or something.”

Griffon appeared at the door of the kitchen and whistled, drawing everyone’s attention to her. She looked sheepish. “I’m sorry to break this up guys, but it’s nearly midnight and some people should probably head home.”

Ray and Michael groaned, the typical sound of teenagers who wanted to stay up but would have to face the wrath of their parents if they did, and pulled themselves to their feet. Jack, taking his car keys from his pocket, followed their lead.

“Do you need a ride?” He asked Ryan, shrugging his jacket on as Michael and Ray found their shoes and lingered near Gavin’s end of the sofa. “I’m already taking Michael home, I don’t mind driving you both.”

“I brought my car, but thanks for the offer.”

“It was cool meeting you,” Michael told him as he clapped him on the shoulder, Ray nodded in agreement and edged towards the door at Griffon’s stare. “You coming back next week?”

“He’d better,” Geoff answered for him, accepting Jack’s empty beer bottle. He ducked past Griffon and disappeared into the kitchen.

“I will, it was fun,” Ryan assured everyone, stretching his arms to the ceiling. “I’ll definitely be back next week.”

Michael nodded and followed Ray out the door, Jack close behind him. “Bye guys,” he said with a wave before shutting the door behind him. A moment later Ryan could hear the sound of a car engine being started.

“You should probably get going soon, Ryan,” Griffon told him, moving over to ruffle Gavin’s hair. The younger boy squawked in indignation and immediately tried to flatten his locks. Griffon smirked.

“My Mom won’t mind if I’m out a bit longer, 5 more minutes?” He could not help but end his sentence on a playful whine and was rewarded by Griffon’s groan.

“It’s like having small children again, alright alright you can stay for a little bit more,” she replied, rolling her eyes and strolling back into the kitchen. “I’ll be in here with Geoff if you need anything.”

Ryan hummed in response and, for a moment, he and Gavin sat in silence; the sounds of bottles clanging together floating in from the room next door being only things filling the air. But, when Gavin broke the silence, his voice was uncharacteristically quiet, almost hesitant.

“I’m...glad you came tonight.”

“Me too,” Ryan replied with a warm smile, placing a hand onto Gavin’s thin shoulder. He squeezed gently. “Thanks for inviting me.”

There was silence again, Gavin’s fingers playing with a frayed hole in the sofa as Ryan shifted.

“Thanks for everything.”

“Hmm?”

Gavin sighed, slumping in his seat. “ _Everything_ , Ryan. You’ve been helping me so so much and I know I’ve said it before but I really do mean it. Without you I don’t know where I’d be.”

“I’m happy to help,” Ryan responded earnestly, shifting so that he was half-turned and facing Gavin properly. “You’ve grown on me a lot.”

Gavin frowned, staring unseeingly at a spot on the carpet instead of Ryan’s general direction. His face relaxed after a moment and he looked up. “You’ve grown a lot on me too,” he gulped, clenching his fists. “A _lot_.”

The silence returned as Ryan’s thoughts froze, a tiny part of him still aware that his hand still remained on Gavin’s shoulder. Both he and Gavin seemed unwilling to move it.

“It’s okay if you don’t feel the same,” Gavin rushed out, panic flushing across his features. Ryan’s firm grip being the one thing stopping the younger boy from moving away. “It’s a stupid thought anyway. We’re not the same age, and you’re only helping me out because you promised Geoff, and I’m just an idiot and a kid and-”

Ryan silenced him by leaning forward, pressing his lips lightly to Gavin’s rapidly moving ones. Immediately Gavin went quiet, his lips slack against Ryan’s for a moment before they tentatively returned the kiss, leaving the taste of Red Bull filling Ryan’s senses.

They pulled apart slowly after a moment, Ryan noticing the fierce blush that decorated Gavin’s cheeks as he moved his hand to squeeze the Brit’s knee. Gavin swallowed.

“Can I...do something please?”

Gently, aware of the emotions that must have been swirling through Gavin’s mind, Ryan replied. “Of course.”

Gavin raised his hands and carefully brought them up to cup Ryan’s face. “I’d like to see you,” he told him, moving his fingers across the contours of Ryan’s cheeks, the pads of his fingers lightly calloused. “My stupid eyes won’t do it, so this will have to do. I’m sorry if it feels a bit weird.”

“Actually, it feels kinda nice.” And he was not lying, the brushing sensation that Gavin’s fingers gave as they precisely moved across his cheekbones and down his jaw left him with a pleasant tingling sensation at the back of his neck.

“That’s good,” Gavin chuckled, his fingers moving. “Woah your jaw’s broad.” Without a warning his hands moved up to rake through his hair. “Oh! And your hair’s longer than I thought it would be!” He nodded in satisfaction and delivered a quick kiss. Ryan took the opportunity to drink in the taste of Gavin again before the younger boy’s lips disappeared.

“You’re cute,” Gavin informed him with a smile so bright that Ryan thought he must have learnt it from Griffon somehow.

“Not as cute as you,” Ryan returned, running a finger across the blush on Gavin’s cheeks. He leant forward and pulled the younger boy into a hug. “But I like it.”

If he had been paying attention he would have heard Geoff’s snort of laughter from just behind the kitchen door.


End file.
